Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua engaged in a series of good-natured exchanges as the countdown started on their ‘Battle of Britain’ clash in Cardiff on December 11.
Sharing a stage for the first time at the fight’s launch press conference in west London, the rivals stayed respectful throughout with Fury even suggesting to Joshua that they meet for a “pint of Guinness” once they had finished in the ring.
Joshua was wary of the invitation because of Fury’s history of playing mind games, declaring with a smile that “I don’t know if I can trust you”.
The hour-long event watched by a crowd of 1,000 lacked the acrimony of the negotiations between promoters to arrange the biggest fight in British boxing history and even when they faced off they looked far from the bitter foes who have vied for national supremacy for over a decade.
Fury chatted away at Joshua as they held eye contact before the Olympic gold medallist ended the exchange by tickling his opponent in the midriff.
Fury vs Joshua press conference - live updates
- Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua face off for the first time at press conference
- Dana White not present after dispute with Eddie Hearn
- COMMENT: Joshua vs Fury is too late – but that’s not the biggest problem behind this fight
- Joshua reveals Fury’s estranged uncle has joined his camp for super-fight
- Date and time to buy tickets for Fury v Joshua revealed
- Fury reveals game plan to beat Joshua before heavyweights face off
Tyson Fury reveals surprise two-fight plan to retire after face-off with Anthony Joshua
20:27 , Jack Rathborn
Tyson Fury has detailed his exit plan from boxing and a dream fight should he get past Anthony Joshua in the highly-anticipated heavyweight showdown on 11 December.
The Gypsy King will finally meet his bitter British rival in Cardiff, with the WBA heavyweight world title thought to be on the line and available for either fight to become a three-time world champion.
There has been talk of a rematch, despite no clause in either fighter’s contract, or even a trilogy, yet Fury intends to only fight Joshua once before a third meeting with Oleksandr Usyk.
Tyson Fury reveals surprise plan to retire after face-off with Anthony Joshua
Fury and Joshua part 10 weeks before Cardiff showdown
19:24 , Jack Rathborn
A friendly face-off to end a pretty tepid affair at Olympia London. A fight that has been built for a decade, it feels like we're about five years too late for any press conference carnage between these two. The fight in 10 weeks should be different.
Anthony Joshua reveals Tyson Fury’s estranged uncle has joined his camp for super-fight
19:14 , Jack Rathborn
Anthony Joshua has revealed he has been getting help from Peter Fury, rival Tyson Fury’s uncle and old trainer, ahead of his long-mooted British super-fight with ‘The Gypsy King’.
Joshua and Fury faced off for the first time at a launch press conference at Olympia London on Wednesday, six days after finally announcing their bout for 11 December at the Principality Stadium, Cardiff.
’AJ’ already has a former Fury ally in his corner, teaming with another of Fury’s ex-trainers in Ben Davison - who also trains the likes of Fabio Wardley and Moses Itauma - with the hope he can give him the edge.
Joshua reveals Fury’s estranged uncle has joined his camp for super-fight
Lennox Lewis suggests Fury v Joshua trilogy
19:10 , Jack Rathborn
“This fight had to happen on British soil,” Carl Froch notes.
Lennox Lewis adds: “The scale of this one is grand, but the next one will be even greater, trying to figure out who wins, who is in a better position, until they get in the ring, we’ll find out then.
“Maybe they’ll have a trilogy?”
Froch: “Probably not, it’s difficult to go the distance, AJ punches really hard, hopefully we get a couple of good ones.”
Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua: When do tickets go on sale for heavyweight clash?
19:08 , Jack Rathborn
Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are finally set to meet in a long-awaited battle of British heavyweights in Cardiff on 11 December.
Oft mooted over the last decade, a fight between the pair had failed to materialise until now but, despite a number of stumbling blocks in the last few months, is signed and set to go ahead.
The two fighters faced off at a launch press conference in London ahead of their encounter at the Principality Stadium, with the start time still be confirmed for the bout.
Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua: When do tickets go on sale for heavyweight clash?
Lennox Lewis anticipates more spice between fighters in a few weeks
19:05 , Jack Rathborn
“This is too early, you need to be in camp and not see anyone for a few weeks, then when they see each other, it’ll be different,” remarks Lennox Lewis.
Fury and Joshua in friendly face-off
19:02 , Jack Rathborn
Joshua is up first and waiting for Fury to join him for a head-to-head.
Fury puts on his suit jacket. the men go head-to-head... It’s all been very friendly, they stare with intensity, but Fury breaks first, a grin, a fake shove...
Turki Alalshikh holds a belt behind them, resembling the British belt. “The battle of Britain,” is written on it.
Both men still on stage and now talking to each other. Joshua tickles Fury around the waist, it’s all very nice. Fury with his arms outstretched.
Fury vs Joshua press conference
19:00 , Will Castle at Olympia, London
We're closing in on face-offs on what has been a pretty friendly press conference. A lot of love being given to Turki Alalshikh in closing statements.
Frank Warren underlines world title is on the line for Fury v Joshua
18:59 , Jack Rathborn
Promoter Frank Warren chips in, ‘who’s going to be a three-time world heavyweight champion? Both men can punch, it’ll sell out like that, you will be entertained.”
Turki Alalshikh thanks Anthony Joshua for knocking out Jake Paul
18:56 , Jack Rathborn
“I wanted it at Wembley,” Alalshikh adds. “We need all our hands to be together, focused on boxing. He helped boxing, kicking out a YouTuber from boxing. It’s important for me.”
Eddie Hearn insists he had to 'fight our corner' to make fight in the UK
18:55 , Jack Rathborn
“This will be the biggest night in boxing,” Hearn says. “I’ll give Tyson his respect, but this man [Joshua] has changed the face of boxing in this country. We are the envy of the boxing world, our two biggest fighters, in their biggest moment, and stage it anywhere else. We had to fight our corner.”
“Let’s have you in the role of James Bond,” Turki Alalshikh says of Hearn.
Fury praises Turki Alalshikh for making Joshua fight
18:53 , Jack Rathborn
Fury says: “My closing thoughts, I’d like to take this opportunity to give a special man a lot of credit.
“10, 15 years in the making, a special man has come into boxing and made every fight you can dream of, thanks to one man: Turki Alalshikh. Without him, I met him three years ago, I was blown away by it all, this is the final fight he wanted to make, credit to him.”
Fury vs Joshua press conference descends in chaos with crowd interaction
18:50 , Will Castle at Olympia, London
Anthony Joshua is giving fans the chance to ask some questions and it's getting a tad unhinged. A rogue reporter manages to get the mic to which 'AJ' shouts: "No journalists!" Man of the people?
Fury insists Joshua will be 'most important fight of my career'
18:49 , Jack Rathborn
Some people in the crowd are making some noise, goading Eddie Hear. AJ asks for questions...
Fury isn’t having it: “Shut up, you sausage.”
“All this ranking me, when two men go toe to toe, there’s no ranking involved, when I fight AJ, it’s the most important fight of my career,” Fury says when asked if AJ would rank higher than Deontay Wilder.
Joshua claims he conceded A-side to Fury on posters
18:46 , Jack Rathborn
“I got a call saying, ‘do you mind if Fury’s name is first?’ I said ‘yes, I don’t want to lose the fight.’”
Fury replies: “Bulls***.”
Tyson Fury takes aim at Eddie Hearn
18:45 , Jack Rathborn
"In the build-up, they talked about landlords, the Dom Perignons, the guvnors... When I look behind me, I only see one don, Fury v AJ, I ain't paying, son.
“I don’t make a thing about this bulls***, but when I walk out, it’s Tyson Fury against his opponent, I thought I’d highlight that.
“Eddie Hearn is just a sausage.
“I’ve never won a world title here [in the UK], just remember GK is No 1, the boss. Eddie don’t like that, he don’t like that. I haven’t got a problem with Eddie, I’d go for a pint with Eddie, he’s been a good promoter, he’s sung your praises. But he’s been crying.”
Joshua responds to criticism of chin
18:42 , Jack Rathborn
"People have their views, they're repected, but that's their opinion, I can only listen to myself, nobody knows more about boxing more than me. I'm great, I'm good, I've been around, been from gym to gym, specialists, best trainers of a generation, I can use it for every competition.”
Fury pokes fun at Joshua's chin
18:40 , Jack Rathborn
“I’m living proof, if you believe in yourself, work hard, no matter your body, your background, you can achieve anything, I’m the most awkward looking heavyweight champion in the world,” Fury says.
Joshua: “It’s true.”
Fury: “It’s built like an adonis, when he gets hit he goes down, that’s also true.”
Fury: 'It’s been simmering nicely for a decade and a half'
18:36 , Jack Rathborn
“In the glory division, I don’t believe in comparing eras, it’s been simmering nicely for a decade and a half, an unbelievable journey,” Fury says.
“We’ve had our ups and downs, finally, now, before the end of it all, on the biggest stage, the biggest broadcaster, everyone will be there, the tickets will sell out in about 39 seconds...
“As a boxing fan, this is the one I’d want to see, there isn’t a fight out there close to the excitement and everything, it’s a global event, everyone can watch it, it’s available on your Netflix package.”
Fury reveals game plan to beat Joshua
18:34 , Jack Rathborn
"I'm willing to take and take punch after punch and keep moving forward until my hand is raised, I know it'll be difficult, every fight has its challenges, it's what's in me,” Joshua says.
Fury adds: “I’m going to come out, blast him out of there, it’ll be gunfight at the O.K. Corral. I’m not going to box, I’m going to throw down, I’ll catch him, and when I do, it’ll be curtains. That’s it.”
Joshuar replies: “We love it, this is what keeps me running, doing extra rounds in the gym, I want to perform.
Joshua calls for minute's silence for the 'fallen soldiers'
18:31 , Will Castle at Olympia, London
Anthony Joshua asks for a minute's silence for the "fallen soldiers", which include his close friends Sina and Latz who were tragically killed in a car crash in December. Perfectly observed by those in attendance, with 'AJ' appearing to well up.
Joshua insists he is 'fresh' ahead of Fury fight
18:31 , Jack Rathborn
"I feel fresh, I feel excited about this opportunity, I thank Eddie for the opportunities to fight, I'm happy, I'm grateful,” Joshua says.
“I don’t know what it is, I do what I do [in the highest pressure moments]. It’s just what we do, it’s not complicated.
“The thing with boxing, I don’t find it complicated, spirit vs spirit, man vs man, the best man wins, my will was stronger than Ngannou, I trained like any other fighter.”
Fury vs Joshua press conference
18:29 , Jack Rathborn
"When AJ was world champion, I was drunk every week and taking cocaine, I wasn't concerned by anybody else but my wellbeing,” Fury adds.
“He’s a two-time champion, Olympic gold medalist, a role model, I find myself defending my arch rival to the fans. We’re here to fight, and fight we will, I look forward to the challenge, the rise has been phenomenal.
“We’ve had our ups and downs, I’m 38, AJ will be 37 soon, is it too late? Is it f*** too late? To throw down in front of 80,000, let the best man win, let’s go out swinging.”
Fury: I remember AJ getting whacked to the body in sparring
18:27 , Jack Rathborn
"It was another day, it was what I was built to do, for me, I didn't take much away from it, sparring is sparring, he knows that, the most important thing is the fight is happening, 11 December,” Joshua says.
Fury adds: “I have trouble remembering last week, AJ getting whacked to the body, I remember that, he says I left with a black eye, I had a thousand black eyes, nothing news.”
Fury and Joshua address sparring rumours
18:24 , Jack Rathborn
Fury: “I’ve sparred a lot of amateur fighters, AJ was in that ring, he knows what happened, he sparred three or four rounds, then got out... A thing about a Rolex watch, if he could drop me, guess what I left with a Rolex on.”
Joshua responds: “He left with a Rolex watch, but he left with a black eye.”
Fury vs Joshua press conference
18:22 , Jack Rathborn
Tickets for the fight will go on sale at 12pm 9 October...
Turki Alalshikh explains why Fury v Joshua almost landed in USA
18:22 , Jack Rathborn
Turki Alalshikh: "Nobody questioned me about UK. I love the British people, I try to deliver everything for them.
“Put yourself in my shoes, there’s a situation to lose 70m, the best is to have it in a good time zone.
“I have two reasons, and I know London won’t deliver it, they won’t give me the stadium until 2am... Wales delivered it, it’s still UK, the town of Ryan Giggs, let’s do it.”
Fury vs Joshua press conference
18:20 , Will Castle at Olympia, London
Very split crowd as the fighters come out but whether you're Fury or Joshua, it's clear people on these British shores care a hell of a lot about this fight. Who's to say the same passion would be evident if this was being held in New York?
Turki Alalshikh aims shot at Eddie Hearn
18:19 , Jack Rathborn
Turki Alalshikh: “One question is it me, or Eddie Hearn?”
“Thank you everyone, thank you to the champion, the most I care about, the promoter, Frank and Eddie.”
“Big shout to my brother, who is not here, Dana White, this is between you and them, not me. I want only one small advice, to Eddie, don’t watch Braveheart a lot, eh?”
Fury vs Joshua press conference
18:17 , Jack Rathborn
Fury is now in a simplified white shirt with a white cap that has the word: ‘Furocity’.
Joshua in a white t-shirt, with sunglasses... AJ rises and acknowledges the crowd. Max still telling us the story of this fight, 10 years in the making... As has been mentioned a few times already.
Max Kellerman introduces Fury vs Joshua press conference
18:14 , Jack Rathborn
Max Kellerman, no affiliated with Zuffa Boxing, is hosting this press conference.
Kellerman is giving us a history lesson of the heavyweight division...
It’s rowdy in there, members of the fighters’ teams shouting, though Max is not flustered.
Turki Alalshikh arrives for Fury vs Joshua press conference
18:11 , Jack Rathborn
Now time for Michael Buffer, announcing the beginning of... a press conference.
Does that underline the magnitude of this event?
Froch pinpoints Fury advantage over Joshua
18:09 , Jack Rathborn
“Fury has a bit more in his tank, the knockouts, it takes something away from you, mentally and physically,” Froch tells Netflix.
“Both lost twice, but the manner in which AJ lost, he’s unsure, they’re both past their best, best years behind them, it’s a fair match, if Joshua lands that right hand, Fury will struggle to stand up to that.
“Fury struggled, but Joshua splattered him [Ngannou].”
Froch: 'I was the catalyst, but I showed it could be done'
18:07 , Jack Rathborn
“I’m happy this fight is finally here,” Lennox Lewis says.
Carl Froch adds: “Post-war fight record, Wembley, 80,000, Joshua did it time and again, I was the catalyst, but I showed it could be done.
“It’s massive, 10 years in the making, I still don’t believe they’re coming together.”
“It’s about egos, TV stations, managers... But you know what brings it together, money, HBO and Showtime, they couldn’t get their thing together, Mike Tyson and I were by ourselves.”
Here we go! Fury v Joshua press conference about to begin
18:05 , Jack Rathborn
OK, here we go, the scheduled time has passed and the fighters should be with us shortly.
This could be declared as Round 0, perhaps, is there leverage to be had? Joshua and Ben Davison’s relationship, does the trainer have the secrets behind Fury’s downfall?
A decade in the making, but, In the words of Frank Warren... “get on with it.”
Fury vs Joshua press conference
18:00 , Will Castle
Ding, dong, ding, dong... ding, dong, ding, dong.
It’s just gone 6pm; Fury vs Joshua’s press conference is slated to start now. These things rarely start on time, but maybe we’ll be surprised at the lack of delay!
Watch this space - we’ll bring you all the action and traded barbs as they happen!
The Tyson vs Holyfield lesson that shows Fury vs Joshua will be worth the wait
17:50 , Steve Bunce
In October 1989, the contracts for a fight between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield were signed and sealed for a fight in the summer of 1990. The pair finally met in November 1996.
The story of how great heavyweight fights get made, collapse, surface again, vanish, and finally take place is one of boxing’s most ridiculous rituals, as discovered by Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua, which has finally been announced and will head to Cardiff in December.
Read more from Steve Bunce:
The Tyson vs Holyfield lesson that shows Fury vs Joshua will be worth the wait
Boxing royalty awaits Fury and Joshua press conference
17:45 , Jack Rathborn
Fury manager provides update on start time for Joshua fight in Cardiff
17:40 , Will Castle
Tyson Fury’s manager has weighed in on the debate surrounding the upcoming fight between Fury and Anthony Joshua, arguing its start time should be brought forward for the benefit of a UK audience.
The heavyweight clash is currently expected to start at 2am local time, more suitable to a primetime audience in the US.
He told Playbook Boxing: “I think 2am is far too late.
“I think that the general public in England will want to watch it in the pubs, the clubs, you know, around each other’s houses.
“There’ll be a party atmosphere. And I just think it needs to be earlier. Simple as that.
“It’s all in negotiation at the moment but we think it shouldn’t be at 2am. 99 percent of people would tell you that.
“People don’t want to be in a stadium at 2am freezing. We’re still negotiating it, it’s ongoing.”
Tyson Fury manager provides update on start time for Anthony Joshua fight in Cardiff
Tyson Fury sports outlandish suit at launch press conference
17:41 , Will Castle at Olympia, London
Just over 20 minutes out from the scheduled start time, the atmosphere is building at the shiny new British Airways ARC at Olympia London. We’ve had our first sightings of Joshua and Fury; ‘The Gypsy King’ is decked out in an outlandish green suit, while AJ has gone for the simple grey sweats. Both look in good spirits and will be taking to a giant LED stage fitting for a fight this size soon (hopefully).
Tyson Fury and manager pushing for earlier start time in Cardiff after 2am rumours
17:35 , Jack Rathborn
"I think 2am is far too late,” Fury’s manager Spencer Brown told Playbook Boxing.
"I think that the general public in England will want to watch it in the pubs, the clubs, you know, around each other’s houses.
"There’ll be a party atmosphere. And I just think it needs to be earlier. Simple as that.
"It's all in negotiation at the moment but we think it shouldn't be at 2am. Ninety-nine per cent of people would tell you that.”
The battle to keep the 'Battle of Britain' in Britain
17:30 , Will Castle
Anthony Joshua will fight Tyson Fury in a ‘Battle of Britain’, and that battle - against all odds - will be in Britain.
There was a real effort from promoters involved (or not involved), namely Turki Alalshikh and Dana White, to have the fight in the US. New York’s iconic Madison Square Garden was the slated venue for a while.
However, the fight will take place at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, albeit potentially in the wee hours of the morning to cater for the American audience.
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has said “AJ” left “substantial millions” on the table to get the fight in the UK: “I keep saying we won the race... Basically, they downed tools about 10 days ago, they gave up on trying to bring the fight [to the US].
“They did everything they could to bring this fight to America. When I told them, ‘I won’t tell you again, it ain’t happening,’ they gave up. But it’s been very quiet for a week or 10 days, and you start to think, ‘What’s going on?’
“Then I had a call last night from [Saudi official] Dr Rakan to say ‘tomorrow is the day’, and it was hard to sleep last night obviously. It was just an amazing moment to know we got it over the line.
“We signed a contract for a fight in the UK. [Combat-sports company] TKO started getting involved in the Netflix deal. [Saudi adviser] Turki Alalshikh, Netflix, they all wanted to do the fight at Madison Square Garden [in New York City]. Everybody wanted the fight in America.
“They came to us and said, ‘Look, how can we...?’ We started talking, ‘What if we did this? This?’ But basically, AJ just weren’t really up for it. He left substantial millions on the table to stay in the UK and do the fight.”
Tyson Fury urges Ring Magazine CEO to 'rip Eddie Hearn to pieces'
17:25 , Jack Rathborn
Tyson Fury is in a fun mood and has just crossed paths with Ring Magazine CEO Rick Reeno, who is due to sit next to Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn during the upcoming press conference.
Fury encouraged Reeno to “rip him to pieces.”
It would seem, despite a compromise, Fury still holds animosity towards Hearn.
Fireworks are inbound 🎇
— Queensberry Promotions (@Queensberry) September 30, 2026
Tyson Fury has something BIG planned in the press conference you can’t afford to miss 👊#FuryJoshua | Dec 11 pic.twitter.com/ZlmdeXLVKe
When should fighters stop fighting?
17:20 , Will Castle
With Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua entering the twilight of their careers, Will Castle delves into the dangers of fighting for too long and why combatants struggle to quit the sport.
For some, fighting is a business; make as much money from the sport as possible, and then walk away with your health intact. For others, fighting is a lifestyle; it’s a drug that you can’t just quit.
There is a tendency to disregard new-age combat sports as a clown show. Whether it’s UFC fights on the White House South Lawn, former Disney kid Jake Paul becoming one of boxing’s biggest financial draws, or whatever is going on at Misfits in a given week, the bravado, theatrics and occasional buffoonery that have always accompanied the fight game have inflated to an obscene level.
When the bell rings, however, the art of cracking fist, knee or shin against skull is as grisly as it’s always been. Fighters knowingly accept the risk of serious injury or death when they step into the ring. Often, those same fighters will say the feeling of vitality inside said ring is unmatched.
When should fighters stop fighting?
Who is the favourite?
17:15 , Jack Rathborn
Both men appear to be past their prime condition, yet there is still genuine intrigue surrounding who will prevail.
Betfair make Fury the clear favourite at 8/15, with Joshua at 8/5. A draw might be in play at 16/1.
Fury by stoppage is just 13/10, with AJ 13/5, for the Gypsy King to win by decision, you can get 3/1, with 'AJ' to win over the distance at the longest price for a specific outcome: 7/1.
Is Dana White involved?
17:10 , Will Castle
Eddie Hearn continues to reject Dana White’s involvement in Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua despite the fight being made official.
Ahead of the announcement, much of the debate swirled around who would be the face of the promotion, with Matchroom’s Hearn maintaining Zuffa Boxing’s White would not be involved due to the contracts signed.
But Netflix’s announcement detailed how White will be the promoter of the show alongside Turki Alalshikh, who is financing the fight: “HE Turki Alalshikh’s The Ring and Dana White will collaborate to promote this historic showdown that will stream live on Netflix globally to its 325+ million members at no additional cost.”
Hearn insists that is explicitly not the case and has been given the word of Sela and Alalshikh that the UFC chief will not be involved and told the Independent: “We expect the contracts to be honoured and unless we decide otherwise, Dana White cannot be involved in the fight.”
In addition to Hearn, promoter Frank Warren has also claimed White cannot be involved in the fight: "He's not [promoting Joshua vs Fury] because the contract with Tyson says that Zuffa will not be able to promote that fight. I don't know [where he has got that from]. Ask him. I mean, it is just b******."
Then on the weekend, boxing commentator Max Kellerman claimed that White was only acting in an assistant role to Alalshikh for the fight, something White was baffled by.
“I don’t know where that came from,” White said. “That was weird. We’re promoting the fight right now. I’ve said 150,000 times I don’t know if I’ve ever known anybody who’s more full of f***ing s*** than Eddie Hearn.“
It’s all very confusing and uncertain. Will we get any answers this evening?
Joshua and Hearn ‘didn’t agree’ to Fury being A-side
17:00 , Will Castle
Eddie Hearn has said he and Anthony Joshua did not agree to Tyson Fury being the A-side in December’s fight between “AJ” and the “Gypsy King”.
On 11 December, Joshua and Fury will square off at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, in arguably the biggest British fight in history.
The meeting of former heavyweight champions, which will stream live on Netflix, was announced on Thursday, with Fury’s name listed first on the poster.
Speaking to iFL TV the same day, Joshua’s promoter Hearn said: “We’ve got a lot of stuff to still sort out around the fight. The preferences of who gets what.
“Obviously they’ve announced it’s Fury vs AJ. No problem, we couldn’t care less. No, no, that was never agreed.
“We’re supposed to do a press conference next week; I’m not sure whether that will happen or not to be honest with you, because there are a few things we’re still ironing out.”
Anthony Joshua and Eddie Hearn ‘didn’t agree’ to Tyson Fury being A-side
Joshua vs Fury is too late – but that’s not the biggest problem behind this fight
16:50 , Alex Pattle
So, Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua is much too late. Speak to any sports fan in the street, and that’s the prevalent point they’ll make. But it’s not just that the British super-fight is years too late; with a version of contracts initially signed this spring, the fight is months too late within this year alone; and despite Eddie Hearn playing down the idea of 3am ring walks in Cardiff, he wasn’t exactly emphatic – prepare for the fight to be hours too late, to serve an American audience.
When the two behemoths clash on 11 December, whether in the dead of night or in its doorway, they will meet in the twilight of their careers. This is no longer a fight to crown the greatest heavyweight of a generation.
Read more from Alex Pattle:
Joshua vs Fury is too late – but that’s not the biggest problem behind this fight
Joshua and Fury meeting reporters before press conference
16:45 , Jack Rathborn
It promises to be a lively evening as Fury and Joshua finally meet.
All the controversy and bitter negotiations have subsided, for now, with both fighters currently on schedule to meet the media beforehand.
The Independent’s Will Castle is in the building, with Joshua poised to speak with the media first, then Fury will join a small group of reporters ahead of the main press conference.
We’ll have more for you in the next hour before coverage gets underway.
Fury and Joshua arrive in London
16:40 , Will Castle
If there were any doubts whether today’s press conference was going ahead...
Is the fight in doubt?
16:30 , Will Castle
When Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua was finally announced last Thursday for Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, we thought that all the uncertainty and drama around the booking of this fight would be dying down. Alas not.
The clash was plunged into doubt over the weekend after Ring Magazine journalist Mike Coppinger reported that it could be called off due to unspecified “issues”.
The potential involvement of Dana White – the UFC president who runs Zuffa Boxing – is thought to have proved a stumbling block, with Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn insisting White not be part of proceedings. This was contrary to Turki Alalshikh’s announcement on Wednesday, which read that White “will collaborate to promote this historic showdown”.
White lashed out at reporters who questioned him about his role in the fight on the weekend after commentator Max Kellerman downplayed his involvement on a Zuffa fight card, saying he is just working as an assistant to Alalshikh.
Fury then threw the bout into further question when he sensationally claimed the super-fight with Joshua may now be off, accusing his rival of being a “yellow-bellied coward”.
But with today’s press conference going ahead, sources say the bout is back on track - barring any unforeseen changes, of course.
When is the press conference?
16:20 , Will Castle
The press conference for Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua is due to begin at 6pm BST at the British Airways Arc at Olympia London.
Fans can watch the press conference unfold on Netflix or The Ring’s YouTube channel.
Fury vs Joshua press conference LIVE!
16:10 , Will Castle
Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will square off for the first time ahead of their long-mooted ‘Battle of Britain’ as the rivals prepare to trade barbs at today’s press conference in London.
An official announcement for the seismic bout finally came last week, with Cardiff’s Principality Stadium hosting the heavyweight bout on 11 December, which will also be streamed live on Netflix.
The clash has since been plunged into doubt, though, with unspecified “issues” arising to put both the fight and the slated press conference in jeopardy. The potential involvement of Dana White – the UFC president who runs Zuffa Boxing – is thought to have proved a major sticking point.
However, progress has been made to resolve these issues and the press conference at Olympia London will indeed go ahead.
Good afternoon!
16:00 , Will Castle
Hello and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of today’s Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua press conference!
We’ll have all the latest updates from Olympia London as the rivals face off for the first time ahead of their long-mooted ‘Battle of Britain’.
